The Bizarre World of Florida

Here’s one place you never want to catch some z’s…on a railroad track. September 10, 2012

A 62-yearold man was arrested Tuesday on an array of charges after he was allegedly found drunk and unresponsive on a Wildwood railroad track – holding up a train from moving on.

David Lee Nolden, of Wildwood, was charged with interference with a railroad track, trespassing on federal property and disorderly intoxication.

He was placed in the Sumter County jail in lieu of $5,150 bail.

According to an arrest affidavit, Wildwood police officers responded behind 201 S. Main Street just before 7 p.m. Tuesday where a man, later identified as Nolden, was lying between sets of CSX railroad tracks – and a train stopped. It’s not clear how long Nolden had been there, how long the train had been stopped or if train official had blown their horn or made other attempts to get him off the track.

But officers said Nolden was in the train’s path and could have been seriously injured or killed if the train had continued on.

Officers removed Nolden from the tracks and the train moved on.

The affidavit added Nolden smelled of alcohol and was staggering and he admitted he had been drinking when he fell on the tracks. Officers said he was charged after CSX officials said they wanted to prosecute.